Everyone seems to be very quiet this past week. Perhaps we all have our heads down trying to get through March. Whatever it is, it has made for some pretty short blog reading sessions.
So to kick off a new round...
Why do we worry so much about our weight? I have probably spent more time worrying about that than I have in prayer (and I am not proud of that). In fact, I would say my weight is an obsession. And not a healthy one.
Sure, everyone wants to be healthy, but we have taken it to an extreme. Being a smaller size is so important. Do we think we'll be happier when we reach that goal weight? Or will a new goal weight crop up so that once again we are torturing ourselves?
I am tired of not being skinny enough. It is exhausting - and I don't mean the workouts. I mean the emotional exhaustion of not being good enough (and I mean not being good enough for myself and my own expectations). Maybe once I accept myself I can think about more important things. Like what do I want to accomplih with my life? How can I contribute more to the things I've always want to but have been to busy to follow through?
Sure, who doesn't want to be a smaller size? But I've got better things to do than obsess.
So just eat ___________ (whatever you have not been eating) already and enjoy your life.
Anybody else frustrated with their weight and the constant battle?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
5 comments:
Once we take an objective look at why our weight/eating issues are such an obsession, they become less of an issue. To this I can definitely testify. Food is just food. I think what we really have an unnatural obsession with is making food a "thing"...making it a central passion and therefore turning it into a "need." "I NEED an entire steak and baked potato because I had a hard day." "I DESERVE this whole pan of brownies because XYZ..."
Not to mention the entire load of baloney the world forces on us about image. I've never been a small woman. I never will be. Did I get healthy? Yes. Did I makes some better choices? Yes. Did I give up foods that I binged on? Yes. But it was about so much more than losing weight. This process is as much about letting yourself off the hook for perfection as it is letting go of control.
I have a lot of thoughts on this topic, as I've been a member of OA for almost a year now. I'll chat with you as much as you want about it.
This is a tough one. I can totally relate, my weight has bounced around so much and I have been on a diet since I was in the 5th grade and I found out my best friend thought she was fat. Before then it had never occurred to me that I may be fat.
Image is one thing, but on the other hand, I honestly feel better when I'm slimmer. I have more energy and get more stuff done. And whether it is legitimate or not, I like myself more that way.
But there is definitely a need for a healthy balance.
I'll tell you, it's an interesting ride even when you're pregnant... I mean, sure you're supposed to gain weight, but not TOO much, and because you're 'eating for two' there's the pressure to not fill your unborn baby with a lot of crappy food...
food is good, it's our body's fuel and I've never really been an advocate of never-ending, strict dieting without a medical reason (mostly because I think deprivation tactics aren't sustainable by most in the long run). I agree with Beth that problems arise when we focus on food too much and allow it to rule our choices...
Sort of. But the opposite. I'm really skinny--5'3" and 98lbs. I usually like my size and all, but sometimes I get so frustrated when even a 0 doesn't fit, or when shirts won't fit me right because I don't have the boobs to fill it out. Or sometimes my legs look too skinny in boots. I love my body, but sometimes I just wish I could gain 10 pounds and look a little more... healthier.
It only takes one look at me to know that weight is an issue and has been for a very long time. So here is what I learned in my struggle: dieting that yo-yos weight is not a good thing--I stopped gaining weight the year I quit dieting. Body image is tied to "shame" which is feeling unworthy. It's the "fat and" that really bothers me: fat and lazy, fat and sloppy, fat and selfish, fat and stupid... At times when I couldn't seem to make much progress with the "fat" I worked to be sure that none of the "ands" were true and doing well in those areas seemed to magically result in better weight control. Comparing myself to fashion models and anorexic actresses is unwise and unhealthy. It's seldom really about food. And everything B2 said is right on traget. Now let's all go to our mirrors, put on our best smiles, and say: "I am a beautiful woman made in the image of God." Let's repeat until we start to believe it.
Post a Comment